Project Aprender
Volunteering Abroad
In many developing countries, like Chile, unequal access to language training reinforces problems of social segmentation and economic inequality. With Proyecto Aprender Canada, IRSAM partners with a number of Chilean schools to attack this trend by sending native English speakers to teach in some of Chile’s most disadvantaged communities. The Canadian volunteers also take part in higher-order exchange of culture and knowledge by completing internship placements within their fields of study.
Between 15 and 30 volunteers 21 years of age or older will be selected by the beginning of the winter semester, and will spend the rest of the semester undertaking preparation, training and planning. They will spend May to July in Chile, working with a program from the Chilean Ministry of Education, English Opens Doors Program (EODP).
What is Project Aprender?
Initially, Project Aprender was an international effort that consisted of two collaborating parties: Corporación Aprender (CA), a Chilean educational foundation, and a CanadianStudentOrganization at McGill University in Montreal. The project, which started in 2005 at the invitation of CA, brought McGill University students to work as assistant English teachers in schools in marginalized communities.
It also seeks to empower at-risk youth through language and cultural enrichment, provide Canadian University students with a positive and meaningful international experience, and promote the exchange of culture and knowledge between Canada and Chile. This year’s project will be based on the same goals. However, we will be dealing directly with English Opens Doors, a division of the Chilean Ministry of Education.
Project Activities
Participants will spend the majority of their time supplementing the under funded and overburdened English programs in schools run by the host organizations. They will run their own English workshops in order to incorporate creative lesson planning and allow more individual attention to students than is possible with the full class size. Also, for the final portion of the project, participants will take part in an English winter camp project as a counselor. The volunteers will arrive to Santiago de Chile where they will receive 3 days of intensive cultural and TEFL training. Then, they will travel to a local placement arranged by EODP staff where they will live with a host family and teach in a public school for 11 weeks. The families will be paid for accommodating the participant and the latter will receive CLP$85,000 per month.